Patent · US Active

Systems and methods for a snapshot of data

US7680836B2 · kind B2 · utility

67Cited by
120References
18Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 18, 2006
Grant dateMar 16, 2010
Priority date
Expiry dateJan 4, 2028

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC Y)Emerging Cross-Sectional Technologies
  • CPC primaryY10S707/99953
  • WIPO fieldComputer technology
  • WIPO sectorElectrical engineering

Abstract

In one embodiment, a user or client device is connected to a distributed file system comprised of one or more physical nodes. The data on each of the physical nodes store metadata about files and directories within the file system. Some of the embodiments permit a user to take a snapshot of data stored on the file system. The snapshot may include a single file, a single directory, a plurality of files within a directory, a plurality of directories, a path on the file system that includes nested files and subdirectories, or more than one path on the file system that each include nested files and directories. According to one embodiment, the system stores representations of the snapshots that govern a file or directory and its descendants within metadata associated with that file or directory. Before modifying a file or directory, the system updates the representations of the governing snapshots by traversing the metadata of ancestors of the file or directory.

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.